Today we’d like to introduce you to RJ Cooper.
RJ, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always had a true passion for food, honed from a very young age. Just as some have a photographic mind and can remember everything they see, I have it for my palette – I can remember everything I taste. A Detroit native, my passion and palette have taken me around the country. Beginning in Chicago at culinary school, then traveling to Atlanta to learn from some of the best, plus a brief stint in Alaska before heading to New York City, DC, and now Nashville.
In ATL, I worked under notable chefs Guenter Seeger at The Dining Room in the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead and Gilbert Le Coze at Brasserie Le Coze honing in of my craft. From there, I made his way to NYC and went to work for chef and restaurateur Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin. It was my heart that then led me to Washington DC, where I joined The Oval Room and New Heights in before becoming Chef de Cuisine at Vidalia in 2004. I then met his wife, had twin daughters (who have since inspired many meals starting with bacon & maple ice cream), and opened my own acclaimed restaurants Rogue24 and Gypsy Soul. While in DC, I received a StarChefs Rising Star award in 2006 and won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic in 2007.
I relocated to Nashville to open Henley in 2017 and have newly opened my own, Saint Stephen. I’m bringing the rock and roll vibes to Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood with this restaurant, making it the mecca of Modern American Cuisine. The restaurant highlights local seasonal ingredients, pure raw talent tuned by traditional technique, and creative outside the box thinking to give you an experience you won’t forget. Elevating the tastebuds of Nashville in a way that hasn’t been done. Want to know me a little better? Take a look at some of my culinary favorites.
Perfect dinner party playlist: Tribe Called Quest, Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, Mark Farina, Mitchell Tenpenny. Favorite gadget: Konro charcoal grill and binchotan. The grill gets super-hot and sears without burning fats. Underrated ingredient: Beef heart. Necessary extravagance: G olden Ossetra caviar, cultured butter and Wonder Bread. Favorite beverage: Old Fashioned. Favorite midnight or post-shift snack: fresh pasta, fried garlic, olive oil and parmesan reggiano Inspiration: My daughters, Ava and Bridgette Cooper. They will always be the best things I have ever made. Last meal (ever): My mother’s fried chicken, Jeff Buben’s mac-and-cheese, Patrick O’Connell’s “tin of sin” (his signature caviar dish), Krug Rosé and a Miller High Life.
AWARDS
2006. Rising Star, StarChefs
2006-2010 Best Chef Nominations Washington DC, RAMW
2007 Best Chef Mid Atlantic, James Beard 2009-2010 Outstanding Chef Semi-Finalist, James Beard
2011 Best New Restaurant, RAMW
2011 Best Molecular Chefs in the World, Enthusio Magazine
2012 Best New Restaurant, Bon Appetite
2012 Best Chef, Food & Wine
2012. Best Bar Program Semi-Finalist, James Beard
2017 Best Chef, Eater Nashville
PUBLICATIONS
Food Arts
Food & Wine Gourmet Mag Bon Appetite Washingtonian Washington Post NY Times
Forbes Magazine
TV/FILM
Iron Chef
Chefs of Anarchy Local Wash DC News Local Nashville News
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Saint Stephen – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
What is modern American cuisine? First, we find fresh local ingredients and put our thinking caps on. We talk about dishes that bring us happy memories of these ingredients. We do research and learn about the history of regional cooking in and around Nashville. With our extensive culinary training and experience as our foundation, we experiment with ways to incorporate these ingredients. To our parents’ dismay, we encourage “playing with our food” to come up with new combinations while still paying homage to traditional dishes. As the growing seasons change, so do our menus (even the cocktail menu). “Every dish tells a story and celebrates the love affair we have with food.”
For the true foodie fans, I have created a multi-course tasting counter situated around the open kitchen invites guests to interact with the chefs as we craft each course.
Saint Stephen is a place to enjoy whether in your pjs at brunch, dressed up at the tasting counter, kickin’ it at the bar during happy hour, soaking up the sun with your fur-friends on the patio, or enjoying the magic of eating together around a table. Local or tourist — Saint Stephen is a place for everyone.
We are known for our cheeseburger without a doubt but also for making things that seem out of the ordinary, ordinary.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m currently working on a cookbook so that is an exciting next step! I’m also looking into residency options in NY and possible pop-up restaurants in the future.
Contact Info:
- Address: Saint Stephen
1300 3rd Ave N
Nashville, TN 37208
United States - Website: saintstephennash.com
- Phone: (615) 974-0121
- Email: hey@saintstephennash.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/saintstephennash/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saintstephennash/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/saint-stephen-nashville-2
- Other: https://www.opentable.com/r/saint-stephen-nashville?avt=eyJ2IjoxLCJtIjowLCJwIjowfQ&corrid=76220c38-c22c-44e8-9966-f0e019ea9a4b&p=2&sd=2020-01-02+19%3A00
Image Credit:
Andrea Behrends
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
